The 900th - Depression Awareness - For the Love of Boo

Hi Goddesses

Wow, can you believe this is my 900th post ?  That's 400 posts since June - yikes!!!  Is that even possible ???  Lol.

I wanted to do something special today, and there is nothing more special than the subject of today's post.  October has been, amongst other things, Depression Awareness month, and I have done several posts so far.  Well, I wanted to do one more, and one that balances out some of the grim I've subjected you to.

This post is dedicated to my amazing daughter Beth, who I call Boo.  For all the dark days, and the black days, the days when I want to stop the world and jump off, the days when I just want it to end, there is one thing that stops me - Boo.

There are days when I REALLY struggle with my depression, days when my insecurities, low self-esteem and fuck-ups come crashing through the wall I build around myself, and I can find no reason why MY existence should continue.   But all it takes is one thought of my daughter, and I carry on.

I distinctly remember being in the grip of post-natal depression when she was a few weeks old, and asking other people to bottle feed her.  They would happily accept, but also ask "why", and I don't think a single one of them understood me when I said I did not want her subconsciously scarred, and to remember on some level that her arrival into the world reduced her mother to constant tears.

And some days, it's pretty much like that, all over again.  I will NOT have my daughter growing up without a mother, or wondering her whole life why her love wasn't enough to keep me alive.  I will not do that to her.   Famously, Arthur Miller said "a suicide kills two people, that's what it's for", and I will not have my amazing, pure, and wonderful daughter blighted by that which blights me.

So today is all about the happy.  This manicure symbolises my love for Boo, and our mutual love for puddycats, and in particular big fat Pumpkin.   

I hope you've "enjoyed" this series, if that's the right word.   Depression takes so many shapes, sizes and forms, it absolutely is NOT a one-size-fits-all disease, so if you know someone who you think is suffering, ask them to tell you how they feel, and let them know .... let them know you care, and above all, that they are not alone.  Thank you xx

Go Pink Wednesday - Reciprocal Gradient

Hi Goddesses

Today is the final mani for Go Pink Wednesday - I hope you've been checking out the thumbnails every week, there are some seriously fabulous ladies involved.

A little earlier in the week, I mentioned a new blog I had fallen in love with - Globe and Nail.   A couple of weeks ago she had an awesome gradient mani where she added tape and then reversed the gradient - fancy, eh ?

So here is my mani, in 2 halves.  I did a normal gradient, which I wore all day before I then added the reciprocal element.  Let's look at the basic gradient first.

This was a gradient of OPI Steady As She Rose and Sparrow Me The Drama, with an added top coat of Northern Lights.  There was just something twinkly perfect about this - so girlie and pretty!

I then added tape, and did an opposing gradient.  I used thicker tape than Emma did, because well, I'm not delicate, but I still like how it came out.  I love how it's almost an illusion, and quite hard to see exactly where the colours collide.

I think next time I'd like to do this with a bolder colour scheme - it's VERY fancy.  Go Emma !

Enjoy xx :)

Forever Autumn - Green and Gold

Hi Goddesses

Today's autumn post is about the start of the season.  The moment when the first hints of decay creep into the colour scheme, and the green starts to bleed away in favour of gold.

You may recognise the base of this mani from the Blackness Descending post (here).  I then stamped over it using Barry M Gold foil and LeaLac plate B.

I don't honestly know if the pattern is leafy, or whether it's paisley ha ha, but it seemed appropriate, and it captured the falling motion pretty well too.

If you haven't tried the LeaLac plates from Llarowe yet, I suggest you add them to your wishlist.  Interesting patterns and great quality.  The only downside is that the patterns are HUGE, so whilst this is great news if you have really long nails, it does mean some patterns are a little compromised, and shrinking them 30% or so would have made a much more effective design.  But despite that, I love 'em.

Enjoy xx :)

Sonoma Nail Art - Deadly Zins

Hi Goddesses

Wow, we have a lot to get through today, so much so that I think I'm going to carry some of it over to tomorrow.  Here's what's left in the official October pot -

* 2 x Sonoma Nail Art

* 2 x Crows Toes Halloweenies

* final depression awareness post

* Work Wear Wednesday

* Go Pink for BCA

Lol, that's a lot.  So, I don't really think you want 7 posts from me today lol, so I'm going to spread them.  Today you get to see The Red One from Sonoma Nail Art's Halloween Collection - I'm going to save The Purple One for tomorrow, which sees the launch of 30 Days of Purple.

So, Deadly Zins.  Ah and wow.  What a gorgeous polish.  This is predominantly a red glitter, with purple and blackened specks, nestling in a red tinted base.

I wanted to layer this over purple for maximum impact - and wow, doesn't it make the red POP?  This is KIKO 333, a crazily intense dark purple, and it just captures the drama of Deadly Zins perfectly.

The accent nail is CG Velvet Bow, a STUNNING ruby that is just pure perfection.  I like that this base was dark enough to make the red pop, but red enough to also coax the purple glitters into the light.

So yes, total wow.  Stunning polish.  Beautiful in every way, and even better, this one will last all year round.   As I said last week, it's proving impossible to choose my favourite Halloweenie, but the Sonomas would be right near the top of the list - breathtaking.

Enjoy xx :)

SPAM-a-lot - The Jade Holos

Hi Goddesses

Do you remember me saying I was going to clear out the vault ?  Well, I'm doing it!  I've created 7 SPAM-a-lot posts, which are just jumbles of swatches and stuff, all linked together by a theme.  Mostly that theme is a colour, but a couple of them are also brands.  Most of the photos are taken with the old camera, and the posts will be short on words and heavy on photos - let's get started!

So waaaaaay back in the summer I got my Jade holos and was bowled over with them.  I even scheduled them all in my blogging diary !!  But er ... yeh, not sure what happened.  I even managed to capture some of them IN THE SUN !!! IN THE UK !!!

Ok, let's start with Jade Hypnose, a stunning sky blue.

All of the Jades have stunning linear holographic qualities.

This blue is light and bright  - perfect for spring and summer.

Next is the unparalleled Vermelho Surreal, a rich intense holographic red.

You have seen this one before, in the red holo comparison post, where it beat most of the other polishes.

This red is just STUNNING.  Thanks to Francini, I also have a backup bottle.  It's happiness in a bottle.

And then we have the pinks.  Jade released 3 pinks in the collection, and I really don't know why.  2 at a push, maybe, but 3 .... you wouldn't catch Zoya releasing 3 greens in THEIR collection ... oh, they just did :(

Seducao Rosa is the palest - very sugary.  Index.

Delirio Rosa - medium.  Middle and pinkie.

Deja Vu, darkest, best for my skin tone - thumb and ring.

You've already seen the gold one and the purple one in other posts.  I think that leaves me a black and a dark blue to play with.  See what happens when you try and wait for the sun in England !!

Enjoy - I'll be back with another SPAM-a-lot tomorrow xx :)